Vice President, Land and Habitat Conservation

Defenders of Wildlife

Position Description

Job Title: Vice President, Land and Habitat Conservation
Salary: $143,000 – $158,000
FLSA: Exempt
Department: Land and Habitat Conservation
Location: Headquarters, Washington, DC, or Denver, CO
Reports To: Senior Vice President, Conservation Programs
Number of Direct and Indirect Reports: 5
Last Revised: January 2025

Position Summary

The Vice President for Land and Habitat Conservation leads Defenders’ national policy work to conserve federal and private lands vital to maintaining and recovering our nation’s biodiversity and addressing the intersection of energy development, siting, and biodiversity protection.

The Vice President develops and oversees policy initiatives to protect, connect, and restore federal lands critical to imperiled species, aiming for long-term transformation of federal lands systems for biodiversity. This role also ensures that energy development and siting advance rather than harm biodiversity conservation.

Current work focuses on the National Wildlife Refuge System, National Parks System, National Forest System, and the National System of Public Lands. Additionally, the Vice President leads efforts to bolster and accelerate private land conservation through administrative and legislative advocacy.

Programs involve policy, legal, advocacy, communications, and scientific strategies to conserve wildlife.

Priority areas include:

• Protecting federal lands and waters essential for threatened and endangered species.
• Developing and promoting incentives for conserving biodiversity on federal and private lands and waters.
• Influencing federal administrative and legislative initiatives affecting imperiled species and ecosystems.
• Implementing biodiversity-friendly energy solutions.
• Enhancing the ecological integrity of wildlife habitats.

The Vice President collaborates with senior leadership to advance organizational vitality and values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Drive development and implementation of conservation programs to achieve strategic goals in collaboration with the Conservation Leadership Team.
• Ensure resources focus on high-impact conservation strategies and advise executive leadership on future conservation investments.
• Coordinate with the Conservation Leadership Team on federal and private land conservation policies.
• Work with leadership, Development, and Marketing teams to support fundraising efforts.
• Manage a high-performing team with results-driven leadership, setting and evaluating annual objectives.
• Provide leadership direction on organizational matters in coordination with senior leadership.
• Develop short- and long-range strategic plans, staffing, and budgets for land and habitat conservation work.
• Formulate wildlife habitat and land conservation policies to meet strategic goals.
• Manage programs for the long-term conservation and sustainable management of federal public lands and waters, focusing on key systems.
• Collaborate with federal agencies, Congress, state agencies, tribes, and other stakeholders to address climate change effects on biodiversity.
• Promote wildlife conservation on private lands through partnerships with landowners and organizations.
• Advocate for legislative, regulatory, and policy changes related to land and habitat conservation.
• Represent Defenders in public forums, media events, and stakeholder communications.
• Ensure optimal departmental performance by recommending techniques to improve productivity and efficiency.
• Manage direct reports by communicating responsibilities, monitoring performance, and providing coaching and training as needed.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field required; advanced degree preferred.

Experience:

• 15 years of relevant experience, with 7 years in a supervisory role and 5 years managing multiple layers of staff.
• Equivalent education and experience combinations may be acceptable.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Expertise in private, federal, and state wildlife, land management, and resource conservation agencies.
• Knowledge of wildlife and natural resource laws, regulations, and policies.

Physical Activities, Environmental Conditions, Physical Demands

Physical Activities

Environmental Conditions

Physical Demands

• Sedentary work involving sitting/standing primarily.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Defenders of Wildlife is committed to equal employment opportunity for all qualified individuals, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, appearance, parental status, political affiliation, or any legally protected characteristic.

Visit Defenders of Wildlife to apply.

This position is non-union-eligible.